Chapter 561: Chapter 561: Yellow Dragon Pill!

Huo Yuner assumed Fairy Wan Er was accompanying her to the Fire Dragon Sect to invite Master Situ. She’s being far too polite.

However, Fairy Wan Er said, "Miss Yun’er, our prior arrangement is canceled."

What? Huo Yuner froze, suspecting she had misheard.

Wan Er spoke apologetically, "I’m sorry, but we’ve already found a better partner, so we won’t be collaborating with the Fire Dragon Sect this time. Perhaps we can work together in the future if an opportunity arises."

After speaking, Wan Er turned to leave.

Huo Yuner was completely stunned. She hadn’t misheard; the cooperation was canceled. How could this be?

"Why?" Huo Yuner demanded, a hint of anger in her voice. They had clearly agreed to the terms, so why cancel now? Weren’t they just toying with her?

"We’ve already found a more suitable candidate," Wan Er replied.

"A more suitable candidate? Who?" Huo Yuner couldn’t believe it. Is there really someone more suitable than our Fire Dragon Sect? Other clans and sects have Fourth-Grade Alchemy Masters, but they all refused. They would never cooperate with the Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance. We, the Fire Dragon Sect, are the only ones who can!

"It’s Young Master Lin Xuan," Wan Er stated. "We will be cooperating with him."

What? Lin Xuan? Huo Yuner was completely baffled. "Who does Lin Xuan think he is? What right does he have to cooperate with you?"

Hearing this, Wan Er frowned and said coldly, "Young Master Lin is a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master. He naturally has the right to cooperate with us."

Huo Yuner was dumbfounded. Lin Xuan is a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master? What a joke! "He’s just bluffing! How could you believe him? Have you lost your mind?"

What is wrong with this Wan Er? How could she actually believe a word Lin Xuan says? She doesn’t look like an idiot. Huo Yuner refused to believe Lin Xuan was a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master. The idea was simply too absurd. Every Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master had to dedicate decades to practicing the Alchemy Dao to reach that realm. Lin Xuan wasn’t even twenty years old; he was probably seventeen or eighteen. How could someone like that be a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master?

Impossible, absolutely impossible! She admitted that Lin Xuan’s Martial Dao talent was strong. As a Young Emperor, he was capable of battling across seven cultivation realms. But that didn’t mean his skill in the Alchemy Dao was just as strong. Besides, a person’s energy is limited. Since Lin Xuan was already so formidable in the Martial Dao, he couldn’t possibly be so heaven-defying in the Alchemy Dao as well.

"You believe something so outrageous? Where is your brain?" Huo Yuner snapped.

Fairy Wan Er was now thoroughly angered. "Miss Yun’er, please be more respectful," she said coldly. "My mind is perfectly clear, and I believe in Young Master Lin."

With that, Wan Er turned and walked away.

Huo Yuner was so furious she could have screamed. She glared at Wan Er’s retreating back and stomped her foot in frustration. "You will regret this!" she shouted, before storming off in a rage.

...

Situ Hang, a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master of the Fire Dragon Sect, was sitting in his study poring over a Pill Recipe scroll. Suddenly, a Disciple’s voice came from outside. "Elder, Huo Yuner has returned."

Hearing this, Situ Hang quickly set down the scroll and hurried out, where he saw Huo Yuner.

"How did it go? Was it successful?" Situ Hang asked. "Did the Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance agree to cooperate with us?"

Situ Hang was very confident in his alchemy skills; his only concern was whether they would be willing to offer the Fire Dragon Jade. His goal was the Fire Dragon Jade and nothing else. If they offered any other Treasure, he would refuse the collaboration.

Huo Yuner, her face a mask of fury, shook her head without a word. The entire journey back, she had been seething, growing angrier the more she thought about it.

Situ Hang frowned at her reaction. "What is it? Are they unwilling to part with the Fire Dragon Jade?" He sighed softly. Then again, it makes sense. The Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance wouldn’t hand over a Treasure like the Fire Dragon Jade so easily. It seems I’ll have to go negotiate in person.

However, Huo Yuner shook her head. "That’s not it."

"Then what happened?" Situ Hang asked.

Puffing with anger, Huo Yuner recounted what had transpired, finally concluding, "That Wan Er must have rocks in her head! She actually gave up on us to cooperate with some braggart."

Situ Hang’s expression darkened. They had given up on collaborating with the Fire Dragon Sect to work with Lin Xuan? He knew who Lin Xuan was—a Martial Dao genius, a Young Emperor. But he was surely a complete novice when it came to the Alchemy Dao.

And that kid claims to be a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master? What a joke! If he’s a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master, I’ll eat every Alchemy Furnace on Dragon Island!

"Elder, what should we do?" Huo Yuner asked, frustrated. This failure meant their chances of obtaining the Fire Dragon Jade were slim to none.

Situ Hang, however, just sneered. "There’s no need to worry. There’s no way that Lin Xuan is a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master, and he certainly can’t help the Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance. Just you watch. When the Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance fails, they’ll come crawling back to us. And when they do, I will make them kneel on the ground and present the Fire Dragon Jade with both hands!"

Huo Yuner’s spirits lifted at his words. She would make that Wan Er kneel before her and beg!

...

「Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance」

Inside the main hall, Lin Xuan listened to Wan Er’s explanation and gained a general understanding of the situation.

There were two alchemy alliances on Dragon Island: the Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance and the Nine Nether Alchemy Alliance. Both were first-rate factions of formidable and comparable strength. Both were also subordinate to the Pill Tower, which was the true overlord of the island. The two alliances typically purchased their needed Spirit Medicines through the Pill Tower.

However, not long ago, the Pill Tower suddenly announced that it would only supply Spirit Medicine to one of the alliances. They demanded that the Nine Nether Alchemy Alliance and the Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance hold a competition. The winner would continue to partner with the Pill Tower, while the loser would be cut off. This competition was therefore of the utmost importance to both alliances.

The Pill Tower revealed the details of the first contest: to refine the Yellow Dragon Pill. The alliance that successfully refined it within ten days would be declared the winner. If both alliances succeeded, victory would go to the one whose Yellow Dragon Pill was of superior quality.

The Nine Nether Alchemy Alliance had already managed to refine the Yellow Dragon Pill in just three days, while the Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance had yet to succeed. The Alliance Leader of the Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance, a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master, had concluded that he couldn’t refine it on his own, which was why they sought outside help. But all the other Alchemy Masters they approached refused.

After some careful inquiries, the Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance discovered that the Young Tower Master of the Pill Tower had secretly allied with the Nine Nether Alchemy Alliance. Their goal was to suppress and even annex the Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance. To survive, the Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance had to win; they could not afford to lose.

After learning all this, Lin Xuan understood the gravity of the competition. No wonder the Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance was willing to part with the precious Fire Dragon Jade. If they lose the competition, the alliance will cease to exist, and holding onto the Fire Dragon Jade would be meaningless.

"Is the Yellow Dragon Pill that difficult to refine?" Lin Xuan asked.

"It is indeed rather troublesome," Wan Er said. "More importantly, we’ve never seen this kind of Elixir before. It’s a new recipe introduced by the Pill Tower. To successfully refine a completely new Elixir within ten days is an almost impossible task."

She continued, "The Nine Nether Alchemy Alliance managed it in three days. I believe they must have obtained the Pill Recipe in advance, which is why they succeeded so quickly. This was never a fair duel to begin with."

As she spoke, Wan Er was filled with righteous anger, but also helplessness.

So that’s how it is. Lin Xuan nodded in understanding. "Then let me see the Pill Recipe."

Wan Er retrieved a scroll from her Storage Ring and handed it to him. Lin Xuan unrolled it and read it carefully.

After the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Lin Xuan closed his eyes to organize his thoughts. This Yellow Dragon Pill was indeed extraordinary. It was a fourth-grade Body Refinement Elixir, and its ingredients included not only precious Spirit Medicines but also items like Dragon Crystals. This meant the Elixir contained Dragon Dao Power, making it even more difficult to refine than the Dragon Transformation Pill. It was no wonder the Alliance Leader of the Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance had failed. Refining it in a short time was an immense challenge.

For Lin Xuan, however, it was as easy as flipping his hand.

"There’s no time to waste. Let’s begin the alchemy now." Lin Xuan stood up and headed for the Alchemy Room.

Wan Er and the others followed beside him. "The medicinal materials for the Yellow Dragon Pill are all prepared," she said. "There are five sets in total. These are the last of our materials. If all five attempts fail, we won’t be able to gather another full set anytime soon." That would signify a complete and total failure.

Lin Xuan just chuckled. "Five sets will be more than enough."

With that, he walked into the Alchemy Room.

RUMBLE...

The door to the Alchemy Room shut, leaving Fairy Wan Er, Elder Li, and Chen Changsheng waiting outside. Fairy Wan Er and Elder Li were extremely tense. Will Lin Xuan succeed? We’ve placed all our hopes on him.

Chen Changsheng was on edge as well. If Lin Xuan failed, the Heaven Sun Alchemy Alliance would be finished, and they would surely not let Lin Xuan off easy. He clasped his hands together and prayed silently, Lin Xuan, you have to succeed!

Inside the Alchemy Room, Lin Xuan began the refinement process.

He first spent the time it takes for an incense stick to burn carefully contemplating the Pill Recipe. Then, he tossed one set of medicinal materials into the Alchemy Furnace. Two hours later, the furnace let out a roar, and the contents within turned to ash.

Failure.

Lin Xuan frowned slightly but was not discouraged. Failure was a normal part of alchemy. He collected his thoughts, reviewed the reasons for his failure, and began again.

This time, everything proceeded smoothly.

A day later, Lin Xuan finally succeeded.

Inside the furnace, an earthy-yellow Elixir had formed. It was the size of a dragon’s eye and was covered with intricate dragon patterns that pulsed with a heavy aura.

Lin Xuan grasped the Elixir, a smile touching his lips. He had finally refined the Yellow Dragon Pill. The patterns on its surface formed two distinct Dragon Claws.

A Two-Clawed Yellow Dragon Pill! This signified a fourth-grade, intermediate-quality Elixir.

Not bad at all. Lin Xuan was very satisfied. He walked toward the exit.

RUMBLE...

The door to the Alchemy Room opened.

"He’s out!" Chen Changsheng exclaimed.

Beside him, Wan Er and Elder Li felt their hearts sink, and their faces turned pale.

"He’s out after only one day?"

"Could it be that all five sets of materials were destroyed?"

"Did all five attempts fail?"

"How could this have happened?"

"Failure? Not necessarily," Chen Changsheng said. "He might have succeeded."

"How could he succeed in a single day? The Nine Nether Alchemy Alliance had the Pill Recipe in advance, and it still took them three days! Lin Xuan just got the recipe. It’s impossible for him to have succeeded in one day. This is definitely a failure."

We’ve lost! Completely and utterly lost!

Fairy Wan Er despaired. Elder Li despaired.